Payment
by spongebobcrazy1919
Summary: Peeta, the owner of Mellark's bakery meets the girl of his dreams when she walks into his shop. He doesn't let her pay for her food in money, but instead, he seeks payment in a date. A prequel to my story Lucky! (Which you should all read too) Modern day AU


Wow my fifth story! It is yet again a one shot kind of like a prequel to my other story Lucky, which I hope you all have read. I hope you guys enjoy. I DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES! (Just and F.Y.I.) Oh, and feel free to leave reviews or comments or whatever.

Payment

It's like a normal day in San Diego. I put on my white Mellark's t-shirt and some jeans for the day of baking ahead. I open up the blinds of the bakery windows, and turn the sign from closed to open. Mellark's has been open ever since my great grandfather, Nickel Mellark opened up the business in the early 20th century. It's been passed on ever since, and I am the newest line in the Mellark bakery history.

I inherited the bakery right after I graduated from USC in business. At 25, I was one of the youngest business owners in our area. My father still works there with us, but he's officially given the business to me. "Ready to work son?" my dad asks me.

"Yup," I say. "I'm going to finish the cake. Do you want to do put the dough in the oven?" I walk in the back and work on the decorating.

"Sure," my dad says. We always leave our reads to rise over night, it makes the day so much easier.

I have been given the great task of designing a cake for a wedding. The people want it covered in flowers and colors that are super vibrant for the perfect summer wedding. I already got the base icing on it and I just need to add the sugar flowers. The couple will be picking it up tomorrow, so I have enough time to complete the cake. Decorating is my favorite part of working at the bakery. It's relaxing and I like to find beauty in the smallest detail. Like how daffodils have a slightly more orange center than its petals.

The morning rush is super fast at the bakery. Today it's only Dad and I since my nephew is sick and his wife is working at her firm and couldn't take today off. "Peeta can you come help?" Dad calls.

"Yeah Dad," I say and walk out to the front to help. "Okay so let's see…" the rush starts from opening time to about ten thirty. When the last of the rush comes, I start to make my way to the back, when the door opens again. I turn my head around and see the most beautiful person in the world walking towards the counter. She has long hair tucked away in a braid that ends at her waist. Her eyes are a steely gray color hidden behind some thick eyelashes. She's petite and thin, but muscular. I feel my heart beat erratically and my hands are starting to sweat.

"She's all yours son," my dad says and he goes to the back to bake some more rolls, leaving me alone with the most beautiful girl in the bakery.

"H-hi," I stutter and clear my throat. "Welcome to Mellarks." Her eyes catch mine in a stormy gaze. She looks younger than I am, but very mature for her age.

"Hi," she says. "Can I have a dozen cheese buns?" Her hair whips around her as turns her head.

"Sure," I say and grab a box of cheese buns.

"How much?" she asks and takes out her purse.

"Nothing, it's on the house," I say. She gives me a scowl.

"No really, how much?" she says more sternly.

"Seriously it's fine," I tell her. "It's already slowing down here. You might as well enjoy those." I tape the box shut and place the bag in her hands. "Consider this a gift."

"Thanks," she says and gives me a small, but noticeable smile. She leaves the store and I let out a breath that I've been holding in. I walk into the back to finish the cake, and my dad watches me with a smirk on his face.

"What?" I ask. He just laughs and goes back to kneading the dough.

"Nothing son," he says. "I haven't seen you so nervous like that since you took you MBA's." I roll my eyes and finish the cake for the customers.

This girl comes in every day for the next two weeks. I always get sweaty and nervous around her, and I can tell she doesn't like getting the cheese buns for free. The rush comes and goes, and as I finish helping someone with the Rye bread they bought, the same girl comes back in. "Hi," I say and wipe my hands on a towel.

"Hello," she says. "I'm back for more cheese buns; my roommates finished them just as I brought them home."

"So do you want another dozen?" I ask and grab the box.

"Yes please," she says. I decide to take this time to get to know her.

"So what school are you going to?" I ask. She eyes me before answering.

"UCSD," she says. I bring the box up to the register.

"That's cool," I say. Really that's all I have to say. "What are you studying?"

"Botanical science," she says. "You know flowers and plants." She doesn't look like a flower and plant person.

"That's an interesting field," I tell her and give her the bag.

"Okay how much?" she asks me. I give her one of the Mellark smiles.

"Nothing," I tell her again, and she seems to be really confused.

"No really, I want to pay you," she says. "It's only fair, I have been coming in for the past two weeks and I haven't paid you. Please let me pay you." I think about it for a second before answering.

"Okay here's the deal," I tell her and she eyes me wearily again. She's so beautiful when she does this. "You take the cheese buns, and as payment, you go on a date with me Saturday." She looks at me with wide eyes.

"No way," she says. "I'd rather pay." Well that hurt a little.

"You said you wanted to pay, and I'm not taking any money from you," I tell her and she laughs. It's sweet like honey on a sticky bun.

"I don't even know your name," she says while smiling. "How am I supposed to go on a date with you?" I jump the counter and stand right in front of her.

"I'm Peeta Mellark," I say and hold my hand out for her to shake. "I am the owner of this lovely establishment."

"You are so full of it," she says and grabs the cheese buns and starts to walk towards the door.

"So I'm taking that as a yes," I call out and follow her and stop her before she leaves the bakery. "You can come here at 7:30 and I'll take you somewhere."

"I don't know Peeta," she says thinking about it for a second, glaring at me with her silvery eyes. "Okay then. I'll be here at 7:30." She pushes me aside from the doorway and starts to walk away, when I realize that I don't know her name. I run out the door to catch up with her.

"Hey!" I call out and she turns around. "What should I call you in the mean time?" She walks towards me and comes incredibly close to my face. I look down at her as she looks up at me with her piercing gray eyes.

"Katniss," she says and walks away leaving me outside on the sidewalk. I hold my breath and walk back inside where my dad and my brothers are waiting for me.

"Did you get lucky little Bro?" Wheat asks. I turn my head to my brothers and my dad who are waiting for me to respond.

"I guess you can say that," I tell them and they all start cheering me on.

"Finally little bro can get laid," Rye says and my dad smacks him on the back of his head. "What'd I do?" I laugh at my nosy family and walk to the back to put the final touches on the cake.

Saturday comes faster than I could imagine. I get ready for the date, but it's not really a date. I don't want to take her to a fancy dinner or anything, but I want to take her to the botanical gardens. I know that she's probably already been there, but it would be fun to walk around and listen to her there.

I put on a t-shirt and some jeans, and I get ready for her to come. I stand in the back of the bakery getting some things together when she arrives. She looks beautiful even when she's not trying. She's wearing some red shorts and a white shirt with a knit cardigan around her shoulders. Her hair is in a braid and she's holding her keys in her hand. "Hi Katniss," I say. "You look great."

"You don't look too bad yourself," she says to me. "So where are we going?" I take her hand and lead her outside.

"You'll see," I tell her. The botanical garden isn't too far away from where Mellark's is, so I decide that we should walk there. "We're going on a picnic."

"I love picnics," she says and I mentally score in my brain. "I love being outdoors."

"That's good to know," I tell her. We walk to the botanical garden and she stops before going in. "What?"

"You took a botanist to the botanical garden?" she asks. "Really?"

"You're not a botanist yet," I tell her. "Just come on." She follows me inside and we sit near the gardenias.

"What made you want to take me out?" she asks. I set up the picnic and put the stuff out on the blanket.

"I don't know," I say truthfully. "You intrigued me and I wanted you. And when I see something I want, I have to get it or else I will be so angry." She seemed pleased with the answer and she joins me on the ground.

"What if I have a boyfriend?" she asks. This girl is as stubborn as a rusty nail in the wall.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" I ask her waggling my eyebrows. She smirks.

"No," she says while looking away and i use this fact against her.

"Haha I win," I tell her and she rolls her eyes. "What made you say yes?"

"I figured what the hell? And I thought it was better here than in my condo studying," she answers. "I still have to finish grad school, and right now I'm getting really close to finishing in a few years. I got into this program back where I'm from and I transferred to UCSD as a junior when I was 18." I stare at her for a second with wide eyes.

"You must be really smart," I tell her. "Where are you from?"

"Why do you want to know?" she challenges. She is so stubborn and sassy. Why do I even like her?

"Because I want to get to know you," I say. "Here I'll start. I was born and raised in San Diego, but my mom is from the south, so I do have some southern blood in me. See not so hard."

"Fine," she says. "I'm from a small town right outside of Portland. My mother is from Salem and my dad was from a small Indian Reserve in North Dakota. There you happy?" I smile.

"Yes, very much so," I tell her.

"So what do you do besides work at the bakery?" she asks. I hand her a cheese bun and she eats it hungrily.

"That's what I do," I tell her. She looks at me with shock.

"Seriously?" Katniss says. "You make bread for a living." I laugh at her sudden change of disposition.

"No," I tell her. "I also make specialty cakes and I decorate them, I handle the business and the money, I take care of customers…" I trail off after.

"So you play with frosting all day," she says. "That's not very masculine at all." I give her a little stare.

"I'm also a coach at the high school," I start to say.

"In what?" she asks. What does she think I coach? I am a very fit and very muscular guy, I don't coach the chess team.

"Wrestling," I tell her flatly.

"You wrestle?" she asks and I nod my head. "I didn't peg you for a wrestler."

"Well I do," I tell Katniss. "What do you do as a sport or hobby besides looking at flowers?" I tease her because I love to see her little nose scrunch up when she scowls.

"I don't just look at flowers," she says. "I minored in toxicology, you know, lethal substances. But if you must know, I hunt." She doesn't look like someone who hunts.

"With what?" I ask.

"Bow and arrow," she answers while eating the strawberries I pack.

"Seriously?" I ask and she nods her head. "You shoot?"

"That's what I said wasn't it?" she says to me.

"Wow, now I know that you can kill me with poisonous substances and with a bow and arrow," I say and she laughs.

"You better sleep with one eye open," she says and I laugh.

"Okay," I respond sarcastically. "Do you want to take a walk?" She nods and we get up to walk around the garden. She explains almost every single flower to me in great detail from hydrangeas to the rare orchids in the tropical section. "What made you like flowers so much?"

"I guess you can say that my father inspired my love for nature," she tells me. "It's in the family to name girls after flowers. My sister's name is Primrose. My dad and I had a plant book with all the different types of plants in our area. It was passed down from his father to him and to me. He died before we could finish it. We tried fill it up with all we needed to know about the plants, so I kind of fell in love with the whole flower things." She looks so beautiful talking about her passion.

"I'm sorry to hear about that," I say.

"It was a long time ago, I got used to it," Katniss says and we stop in front of the pond that shows the water plants. There are lily pads and flowers, cattails and little white flowers in the shape of arrows. "If you look at those white flowers over there, you can find out what my flower looks like."

"So that's what Katniss is," I say. "It's a beautiful flower fit for a beautiful person's name."

"You're good," she says. "You're really charming." She walks closer to me, close enough that I can smell her hair which is a mixture of apples and peaches. Her steely gray eyes look up into mine and I can feel my breath hitch. She holds her hand up to caress my cheek, when she pokes me. "You're it." After she tags me she runs away.

"How old are you? 2?" I call out. She comes out from behind the rows of roses and sticks her tongue out at me.

"No, 22!" she says. "You're a kill joy. How old are you 65?" She runs away from the roses to the tall sunflowers covering her tracks.

"No 25," I say and try to find her. I don't if I can do this because after all, she's a hunter and I'm a heavy weight wrestler. After 25 minutes of trying to find her, I almost give up. "Come on Katniss this is ridiculous." Just as I am about to turn the corner, she jumps out of nowhere and scares me.

"Boo!" she screams.

"Shit!" I scream and she's on the floor laughing her head off.

"You think it's funny," I tell her. "Go ahead laugh it up." She stands up and starts to wipe away the tears. I stand there sighing at her constant laughter.

"Aww is the big bad wrestler angry?" she asks. "Does the little flower girl scare him?" She gives me a cute little smile before cracking up again. "That was great."

"Okay come here," I say and grab her.

"Hey! Put me down!" she screams. "Peeta put me down!" I put her down, but I don't let go of her.

"Now it's payback time," I say and tickle her. She laughs so uncontrollably that she can't breathe.

"Okay I surrender," she says and I stop tickling her. She points her thin finger at me. "You little jerk. I could've peed in my pants and you would've been okay with that." She pokes my hard chest while expressing her anger. Her lovely face is looking up at me as she's poking. I lean down close and place my forehead to hers and put my nose up against hers.

"Are you done now?" I ask. I grab her hands and put them around my neck and hold her waist close to my body. She becomes really quiet and I can only hear her heart beating with mine.

"No," she says. I lean down and kiss her soft lips. They fit perfectly against mine and I make sure to leave her breathless when I pull away, keeping my forehead on hers.

"Are you done now?" I ask again.

"No," she challenges and I kiss her again and again and again. I let go of her and we walk back to the Bakery.

"Let me walk you home," I say and she shakes her head.

"No I'm fine Peeta," she says. "It's only a few blocks away I can get home by myself." I insist on taking her home, and she finally gives in.

We walk side by side on the street, until I take her small hands into my large ones. Her arm bends upwards a little bit, but she doesn't mind. She seems hesitant at first, but later relaxes into my touch and looks up at me. "What?" I ask.

"I had a lot of fun," Katniss says quietly. "I haven't had this much fun in years." I hold her close to me.

"Well I'm happy that you had fun," I say. I also had so much fun with her. We make our way to her condo and she stops us.

"This is me," she says. "I had a lot of fun Peeta." I lean down and kiss her, but she seems reluctant to let go first. "Bye."

As she walks up the stairs, I stop her. "Do you think we could do that again?" I ask. I'm nervous to hear her answer.

"I thought you'd never ask," she says and kisses me before going inside. I walk down the street putting my fist up in the air. "Yes!"

After our first date, she's come in every day for 6 months. I am always excited to see her here because I think I'm truly in love with her. I love her laugh, and how her eyes sparkle when she talks about the flowers and her sister. One day after work, my dad comes to talk to me as I clean up the ovens.

"So Peeta, you and Katniss are getting pretty serious," he says.

"Yeah," I tell him. "Dad I think that she's the one." He laughs and smiles.

"I can tell," my dad tells me. "You should bring her over to meet the family. I would love to have her over, and maybe Mom should meet her too." My dad has already met Katniss, but she hasn't been formally introduced to my brothers and mom. I'm kind of nervous to have her meet my mom. She's out there and very picky. She wants a good southern woman for me, and is very conservative. My mother loves to make the people I date feel worthless, but I am not going to let her do that to Katniss.

While on a date to the Zoo, I decide to drop the bomb on her. "Katniss," I say.

"Yeah," she answers. She's looking at the cute little monkeys that can fit in the palm of her hands.

"So we are kind of serious," I start, "And we have been dating for a while." I run my hand through my hair and clear my throat.

"Peeta just spit it out," she says with a questioning look.

"My parents, more like my mom, want to meet you," I blurt out. She looks at me with an uncertain look on her face.

"Are you sure they want to see me?" she asks. "I mean, I am a little different than others." I kiss her forehead.

"And that's what I love about you," I tell her. "It's only dinner at my parent's house Kat. Don't worry about it." She holds my hand and squeezes it tight.

"I love you," she says.

"I love you too," I respond.

The day that the dinner comes is a very hectic one. Katniss is nervous because she doesn't want to disappoint my parents, but I constantly remind her that my dad and brothers already love her. I can tell that my mom already won't like Katniss because she's not the "housewife" she wants me to marry. Katniss is an independent person and is going to school so she can earn her own money. When we arrive at the house, Katniss squeezes my hand, holding on to dear life.

"Calm down," I tell her. "Everything will be okay." She relaxes a little bit and the door opens, revealing my nephew Aaron. "Hey Buddy!" I ruffle his hair and we walk inside.

"Hi Mom, hi Dad!" I call out. My dad comes out and greets both of us.

"Hiya Peet," he says and hugs me. "Hi there Katniss." He envelops Katniss in a hug. "Sorry you already know that I'm a hugger." We make our way inside, and I see my eldest brother's, Wheaton's, wife.

"Hi Peeta," Ally says. She is just what my mom wanted my brother to marry. She's blonde, and blue-eyed, who already gave birth to 2 boys. "Hello, I'm Ally."

"I'm Katniss," my girlfriend says. "It's really nice to meet you." Ally is a sweet girl from Georgia. Wheaton met her when he went to school.

"Same," she says.

"Would you like some help?" Katniss asks and Ally accepts.

"That would be just lovely," she says. Katniss is already on the good side of the Mellark men, so it's great to see her bond with the Mellark women. I watch Katniss set the dinner table and talk to Ally about her schooling. Then, my mom decides to meet Katniss. Katniss looks up from helping Ally to introduce herself.

"Hi," she says with her sweetest voice. "I'm Katniss." She holds out her hand to shake it, and my mom does.

"Hello," my mom says. She still has a hint of the southern drawl. "I'm Mallorie." My mother's disposition is cold and closed off, unlike my father's or any of my brother's.

"It's really nice to meet you," Katniss says and continues to help Ally with setting the table.

Dinner is a little awkward, since my mom keeps on asking Katniss personal questions. "Where are you from Katniss?" she asks.

"I'm from a really small town outside of Portland," she says. "I moved here when I was 18." My mom gives her a questioning look and asks her more questions.

"Peeta tells me you go to UCSD," my mom says. "What are you studying?" My mom can put on a sweet act, like she's trying to look out for me; but really, she just wants to find someone that she approves of.

"I am majoring in Botany and I have a minor in Toxicology," Katniss answers. I don't think my mom likes her answer.

"So you look at flowers all day?" she asks. Like looking at flowers is a bad job.

"No," Katniss says. "Right now, I am interning at a company and I'm helping them develop a pesticide that is safe for the plants and human consumption, and also one that doesn't affect the ground water. That's where the toxicology comes in." Katniss explains how they are trying to use a flower's chemical make up to create the new pesticides.

"That sounds interesting," Ally says. "You are really helping society here."

"Thank you," Katniss says to Ally.

"So Katniss," my mom won't ever let go. "What is your racial background? I mean you look very exotic." I love how my mom can put "you don't look like us" in nice words. She can mix them up and make them sound innocent.

"My mom is German and French, while my dad is Native American. He's half Sioux and half Cherokee. He was originally from a reserve in North Dakota," Katniss says. "I take after my dad, but you can barely see that my sister is related to me since she looks just like my mom: Blonde hair and blue eyes."

"I think that's a beautiful combination," Ally comments. Ally is such a sweet person, and she can always lighten a tense mood.

"Yeah," she says. "That's where the flowers come in from my name. He used to chart the flowers and plants he saw, and that's how I got interested in Botany." Dinner ends after, but my mom still has more to ask her.

"So is that how you got into school?" she asks. "Because people with a Native American background get into schooling for free." There is the bomb. Katniss has this thing with her pride. Some things people say can push her buttons, and right now, I think she's on her last nerve.

"No!" Katniss says. "I put that down, because it was mandatory, but I had a 4.5 GPA. I work hard to get to my position and I didn't get in because of some handout." There's the snap. I was dreading for that moment to come.

"Mom, I think that we should clear the table," I tell her and we both get up and clear the table. We soon make it to the kitchen where I can confront her. "What the hell are you trying to do Mom? Kill her?"

"Peeta, I don't think that that girl is right for you," she says. "She's rude and very unlady like." I roll my eyes at her observation.

"So what you're trying to say is that you don't like her because she doesn't look like you, or act like you, or talk like you, right?" I say angrily. "Why would you do that to me?"

"I don't think she's good for you," my mom tells me. "It doesn't look like she sincerely loves you."

"Mom, Katniss loves me, she just has troubles showing her emotion," I retort. "She's told me multiple times that she loves me, and guess what I love her back. I love her, Mom." I take a deep breath after my monologue.

"How old is she? 20? She just wants your money," Mom says.

"How dare you say that Mom," I tell her angrily. "Out of everyone here, you are the rude and unlady like person. Mom, Katniss is the most remarkable person in the world and I love her to death. Don't you dare judge her." With that I storm out of the kitchen and see Katniss playing with my nephews. "We're leaving Katniss," I say sternly.

She gets up quickly and says bye to everyone before exiting the house. "Peeta, are you okay?" she asks.

"We are never going back there," I say coldly.

"It's okay Peeta," Katniss says to me trying to calm me down. "I've been judged before. I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself. I have been for years." We make our way to my apartment, where I punch the wall.

"Peeta you need to calm down," Katniss tells me and holds my face in her hands. My back hunches a little so I can look at her. Her eyes are the beautiful steel color that keeps me grounded. Her small hands feel soft against my face. "Peeta, I love you. I don't care about what your mom says. It's just you and me okay?"

"Okay," I say and kiss her passionately. It's times like these when I really love Katniss. She's the rock that I need sometimes, so that I won't fly away.

The next day I wake up next to my girlfriend without clothing. She's also bare too. Her snoring makes me laugh a little because they're so quiet, you can barely hear them. I get out of bed carefully and put on some clothes so I can make breakfast. A few minutes later, Katniss comes out sporting my t-shirt that ends in the middle of her thigh. "Good morning sleepy head."

"Good morning," she says groggily. I give her a plate of pancakes and cheese buns. "Just saying, dinner with my mom and sister will go much more smoothly." And she's right. We visit her family a few months later, after our 1 year anniversary. Her mother enjoys talking to me, and she doesn't ask any pressing questions that might make me feel uncomfortable.

"So Peeta," Mrs. Everdeen asks. "What's your family like?" She cuts a slice of pie for me and places it on a plate covered with purple flowers.

"Well, my dad and brothers are very outgoing and we're all a bunch of pranksters, but my mom is from the south so she's a little more conservative than we are," I say. I put into nice words that my mom is an uptight bitch.

"It sounds like you have a lovely family," she says and gives me the plate of food. "I know you're a baker so I get it if my pie isn't that great." Mrs. Everdeen seems like a very nice woman, very relaxed and comforting.

"No your pie is delicious," I tell her truthfully. "We don't even sell pie at the bakery, so I wouldn't know."

"Thank you," she says and gives me a warm smile. Katniss' sister, on the other hand, is a ball full of energy. Primrose is an exact replica of their mom. She's sweet and very young, and she's studying to become a doctor.

"Peeta, do you love my sister?" she asks. Katniss pinches her sister's arm and gives me a weak smile. I know I love her so why should I hide it.

"I do," I tell them. "Mrs. Everdeen I love your daughter so much." She seems to be happy with my answer.

"Great," she says. "That's just what Katniss needs, I mean, ever since Lark's passed…"

"That's enough Mom," Katniss says suddenly, cutting her mom off. "I'll take the leftovers back." We watch her walk away and Prim gives her mom the eye and soon follows Katniss.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Mrs. Everdeen says. "It slipped my mind." I didn't realize how torn Katniss was when her father died.

"No it's fine," I tell her. "But if you don't mind answering, how did he die?" I can sense the discomfort in Mrs. Everdeen.

"He died all too soon," she says. "Some say that it was suicide, and others think that it's murder. He was poisoned by a very poisonous berry, nightlock. It kills you even before it reaches your stomach. It's a quick and painless death. They found it in his pocket when he died, but we don't know what happened. The police ended the search years ago, and she hasn't been taking it well." I automatically feel the hurt in her voice.

"That's awful," I tell her and take her hands in mine. "I am so sorry for your loss." She takes her hand off and cups my face with them, something that my grandmother would do when I was younger.

"You're a good man Peeta," she says. "You're patient, and that's what she needs. You can help her be happy again, because she's dedicated her life for her father." She lets go of my face and gives me a small smile, something that Katniss inherited. She spent her life with plants and poisons because of her father's unexpected passing. "Oh lark would've loved to see her so happy."

When the night comes, I wait for her to come to me, and when she doesn't I go to her. "Katniss," I say. "I know what you're doing." I can hear her wipe the tears from her face in the bathroom.

"I'm fine Peeta," she says quietly. "I just need some time." I know that she "needs time" but I want to help her now. I have no choice, but my last. I find the scissors in the drawer and pick the lock, opening the door.

"Katniss," I say and she turns away from me. "You don't have to hide. It's just me." We've come so far, and she's become so much more open.

"I'm okay seriously," she says with her face between her crouched knees. I sit down next to her holding her towards me.

"It's hard Katniss I know," I soothe. "I know that you don't have closure from it, but just realize that he would never want to leave you or Prim. He's in a better place now without any pain, and he would want you to feel the same. He doesn't want you to feel pain." She lifts her head slowly from the position between her knees and looks up at me. She takes her small hands and grabs my face, rubbing small circles on my cheeks with her thumbs.

"I love you," she says and buries her head in my chest. "I love you so much I can't even bear not thinking about you."

A few months later, I feel the need to make Katniss mine forever. I love her so much, and I can't bear to think of a future without her in it. I want to see her every day for the rest of my life. I want to see her shy smiles and hear her soft snores and night. I want to watch her raise little kids who run around the house screaming. I want to watch her grow old and become that cheesy couple who sits on the porch in the evenings, reading books while holding each other's hands.

The first step is coming. Katniss always arrives at Mellarks at eleven every day. She always gets a cheese bun and a hot chocolate, always on me, and sits in the table surrounded by the most windows so she can feel the morning sun on her back. This morning, however, will be different. I take her cheese bun and hot chocolate and give it to her. We sit in our little corner talking. I eat my sugar cookie and she hungrily munches on her cheese bun, when she finds something gold in the center.

I watch her dig around the item and finally pulling it out. It's not something that my mom would not approve of, since it's a little smaller than her ring, but Katniss doesn't like flashy rings. It's a gold band with forever and always engraved on the inside. The outside has a few diamonds that surround the 2 karat rock in the middle. When I saw it at the jewelers, I just knew I had to get for her, and I hope she'll take it. She first looks at it in disbelief, like it was on accident, but when I get down on my knee, she understands what it's for. "Peeta?" she asks nervously.

"I am so nervous right now," I tell her truthfully before starting the speech. "I remember when I asked you out as payment for the cheese buns you bought. I thought that I was just attracted to you, but I didn't know that two years later I would fall in love with you. I love your personality, I love your determination and independence, and I even love the little scowls you give me when I try to make a funny joke. You are my rock and there's no one I'd rather spend the rest of my life with." I grab the ring from her hand and hold it up for her and she gasps. "Katniss, I love you so much that it hurts, so would you help get rid of the pain by marrying me?" My hand shakes as I hold it up for her, but she looks in a loss of words.

"No," she says quietly. I put the ring down in shock looking at her with utter daze; I was so certain that she would say yes. I'm a failure. What did I do wrong? I look away from her so that she won't see me scream, when she puts her hands on my face. "Peeta, Peeta look at me." I look at her with sadness. "Sorry, I just always wanted to do that. I always just wanted to say no and see what happens. Of course I'll marry you." My face turns into pure elation.

I lift her up and kiss her with so much love. I can hear the customers and my family cheering me on in the back and around us. "You are evil," I tell her and she laughs. I gingerly place the ring on her finger, and kiss the spot.

"Right on little bro!" My brothers say and hug me and Katniss. My father congratulates both of us and welcomes Katniss to the family officially. That night, I hear screaming from our bedroom. I can tell she's talking to her sister and mother by the way she's laughing and teasing them.

We decide to have the wedding, where our first date took place, at the botanical garden with the runner is near the gardenias. I can feel the sweat dripping from my neck and there are chills running up and down from my spine. My brothers and my father assure me that it will be fine, and that I will be so stunned by her beauty. It's such a beautiful summer day, and I'm standing there anxiously waiting to see my fiancé, soon-to-be-wife walk down the aisle. She hasn't given me any hints about her dress, so I am super nervous. I already know that she will look beautiful, but I am just so anxious to see her.

Katniss' best friend's daughter is the flower girl, while my nephews are the handsome little ring bearers. Prim comes out looking stunning as always and so does the rest of the bridal party. They're wearing a lavender dress that reached all the way to their ankles. They all hold yellow bouquets of Katniss' favorite flower. My boutonniere, though, is a white Katniss flower from the botanical garden's water flowers. All of a sudden, everyone stands up and I see my beautiful fiancé walk down the aisle with my father, who looks so honored to hold her. Katniss looks so beautiful. Her dress is stunning on her. She never really liked anything flashy, and I think that it suits her beautifully. It's ivory with lace on top. It's fitted around her chest, but slowly fades out into an a-line. Her veil covers her face, but I can see past the thin material, and she's gorgeous. My father leads her up the aisle and she thanks him when he lifts her veil and gives my dad a big hug. He turns towards me and gives me thumbs up when he goes to sit down.

The ceremony was wonderful, and we wrote our own vows, which explain our love for each other. I even saw my mother shed a tear from the corner of her eye, but she tried to hide it from the rest of us. The best part, was when I was able to call her Mrs. Katniss Mellark, my best friend, my other half, my love, and my wife. We retire to our brand new house, before going to our honeymoon, and we spend our first few months of our marriage in pure bliss.

Four months after our wedding, I sense a change in Katniss' behavior. She's constantly tired, she's moody, and she eats more than normal. She assures me that she's fine and that everything is perfectly normal, but she wouldn't be my wife if she wasn't stubborn. One day, when I come home from work, I see my wife sitting on the table with an array of foods.

"Hello," I say and kiss her. I put my things down and go back to her. "Are you hungry? You shouldn't be eating all of that food." She looks at me with a displeasing tone.

"I have to," she says and digs into her first plate of food.

"What do you mean by 'I have to'?" I ask. I sit down on the chair next to her, watching her eat a butt load of food.

"Well I am eating for two now so…" she trails off giving me an elusive look. What the heck is she talking about?

"I don't understand," I say and she starts to reach into her pocket. Her small hands pick up a little white stick with a small, red plus sign in the middle.

"Wait…you're pregnant?" I ask in disbelief. We agreed to wait a few years, but this is just astonishing.

"Yes I'm pregnant," Katniss says as I'm still trying to process the information. "I am just about a month and a half according to my doctor." Four months into our marriage and she's already pregnant. Well we're in for a curve ball.

"I'm going to be a father," I say out loud. "I'm going to be a father. I'm a Daddy!" I exclaim loudly and grab my wife and kiss her face.

"Yes you're a father, but right now, the one carrying your baby is hungry," Katniss says and I put her down immediately.

"Eat all you want, heck, I'll even make more food," I say happily. "You know why, because you are having a baby, which means that I'm Daddy." I run into the kitchen to pull out more food for her.

"This is going to be a long 34 weeks," she groans and eats her array of meals.


End file.
